HAVING wire rope barriers along the length of the Hume Freeway in Victoria is unnecessary, the member for Benambra believes. Bill Tilley says "without a doubt" there were areas of the route that did not need the roadside fence line and a more considered approach was required. He was commenting while hosting his Victorian Liberal colleague, the state Opposition's roads spokeswoman Roma Britnell, in Wodonga on Friday. Ms Britnell shares Mr Tilley's concerns about the barriers, saying some sections without gaps were eight metres and they needed reducing to help emergency services. The Victorian Auditor-General is investigating the safety outcomes of the installation of the barriers, but Ms Britnell fears any recommendations will be ignored by the government. However, a spokesman for the government defended the wire fences and their value on the Hume Freeway. "Since work began to install barriers on the Hume the number of serious injury and fatal crashes has halved," he said. "That isn't just a statistic, it represents people who are still here with us today or who have avoided serious life-changing injuries." The government noted Regional Roads Victoria staff had met staff from each council along the Hume corridor as well CFA, police, SES and ambulance personnel to discuss the barriers. The Department of Transport has been co-operating with the Auditor-General investigation. Around 980 kilometres of wire rope, valued at $89 million, has been installed along the Hume Freeway's lanes.